


things work out

by orphan_account



Series: this is erosion [2]
Category: CrankGameplays - Fandom, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Amy Nelson - Freeform, CrankGameplays - Freeform, Ethan Nestor - Freeform, Hurt/Comfort, Mark Fischbach - Freeform, Markiplier - Freeform, Other, Platonic Crankiplier, Protective Mark Fischbach, Sad Ethan Nestor, Trans Ethan Nestor, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-16 13:08:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29082912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: cw // transphobia, deadnaming, misgendering (ftm)pls don't read if any of these cause you discomfort!! i want you all to stay as safe as possible <3modifications of nonfiction to fiction:trans!ethan (ftm)mark is 28 and ethan is 13i wanna be clear - this is the SECOND PART of this fic
Relationships: Mark Fischbach & Ethan Nestor, Mark Fischbach/Amy Nelson
Series: this is erosion [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2130408
Comments: 1
Kudos: 42





	things work out

ethan's ears flooded with the pounding shake of his quivering chest, all four of his short limbs felt as if they were going to fall off.  
"hi mom, hi dad." the boy squeaked out, almost inaudible, doing his best to not to make it obvious that his bottom lip was shaking uncontrollably.

"hey princess, what's up? are you okay, what happened?" ethan's mom began, placing her book on the kitchen counter.

"i'm, i-... i'm a boy."

he couldn't stand it. he couldn't stand the physical sickness he felt at the core of his stomach, the cloudiness of his vision, the beads of sweat that hadn't quite seeped to the surface of his skin yet.

"you... what?" his dad turned around from pouring his coffee.

"i'm transgender. my name is ethan and i use he/his/him pronouns. i'm not happy as a girl and i'm tired of not being happy." he lifted his chin up, endeavoring to be confident with his confession.

his parents shared a glance, evidently resentful at their son.

"you... this isn't acceptable in the slightest. you are a girl. our daughter. our beautiful baby girl. a princess. why are you lying to yourself? do you understand how embarrassing this is for us? how you're hurting us? this is not okay, alyssa."

ethan struggled to swallow. his throat began to thin and everything started to spin around him, he was a boy. he was never a girl. ever. he/him. boy. male. prince. son.

and he knew this, however, he was sick of putting up with being told otherwise.

"shut up. i hate you. i hate both of you. you're both so idiotic and you can't even begin to fathom the bullshit i have to deal with every fucking second of every fucking day. you're the worst. you aren't smart. and you don't control me. i am not an object. and i am a boy. and if you can't accept or support that?... that's your issue. not mine."

he didn't yell, or raise his voice. precisely, he balled his fist and waited for a response.

"alyssa, we have been more than gracious and patient with you." his father began, standing at the opposite side of the counter and taking long blinks, "but if this is how you're going to behave, if this is how you're going to treat me and your mother, after everything. after all we've given you?... you're going to have to find another place to stay."

"you simply cannot live here anymore. we have put up with your nonsense behavior for far too long and frankly, we're tired of it. including your brother." his mom added in, nodding, tears brimming her eyes.

ethan let his shoulders relax, inhaling sharply, "fine. but don't come crawling back to me. this is your fault."

\------

"what is up my cranky crew? it's ethan from crankgameplays and today, i have a bit of an announcement. don't get your hopes up, it's not good." the blue haired kid spoke for his 6,800 subscribers, "i do not have a home, as of this uploading of this vlog. this, unfortunately, means that future videos will have to be postponed. i know it's absolutely devastating," he goofed, attempting so desperately to cheer himself up, "but no, i, hate to say that, for now? my channel is on pause. at least until i find a place to stay. thank you guys for everything, bye!!"

\------

mark snuggled onto the couch next to amy and the dogs, clicking on his phone and opening youtube. his thumb swiped in an upwards motion as his head dropped to the head rest of the leather beige couch.

"hey wait a second," he squinted, looking at his phone. "yeah, what's up?" amy asked, still attending her stare at the TV. "i might be wrong, but isn't this the kid that did a backflip for me back in august?" he tilted his phone for his girlfriend to see, pointing to a video titled 'announcement time, i'm sorry'. 

"yeah, but he has blue hair now. remember? i think he had brown hair at the panel?" amy looked back up at her boyfriend, who was still analyzing the thumbnail, "yeah you're right... wait turn the volume on the TV down."

as amy did that, mark clicked on the video, rotating his device, "what is up my cranky crew it's ethan from crankgameplays,"

"holy shit, my god." mark chuckled, taken aback by the boy's intro, but soon started listening again and cocked his head in confusion, "what the fuck," he mumbled, a little bewildered on why he mentioned not having a home.

the setting of the video was off. there was yelling in the background, ethan's face was puffy and red, and the camera was shaking, indicating that he had been shaking.

he paused the video half way through to check the description, it was empty. there were no tags, and it wasn't added to any playlists. 

"that... this doesn't seem right, right? this entire thing feels off. do you think he's okay?" he shifted his body towards amy as he observed the boy's youtube channel, finding an email address in the "about" page. "i don't know, babe. that is really weird though." she petted henry, thinking for a moment.

"i'm going to email him. should i email him? i wonder how close he lives to us. that's not weird, is it? i'm just concerned." mark chewed at the inside of his cheek, already typing in the email address to message ethan.

\------

ethan trudged through his half packed room, plopping down at his desk chair and flipping open his PC, feeling dizzy and ill from crying so much. he had one week to find a place. the first day was over and he made no progress so far. sure, he had gave his mom and dad the big middle finger and wore a tough exterior, but quite honestly? he was so, extremely scared. he needed a distraction. he'd work on finding a place the next day.

he went to check his email, seeing he had three new ones. two from old navy, and one from an email that seemed familiar? he furrowed his eyebrows, clicking on the message:

from: markiplierbusiness@gmail.com  
to: crankycrew00@gmail.com  
subject: your latest youtube video

hey ethan! it's mark, your newest video happened to show in my recommendations earlier, and i watched it. something inside me triggered, and i need to make sure you're safe. please get back to me when you can.  
i promise this isn't a scam email, i'll leave my phone number below so you can call me if needed.  
apologies if this seems weird, but that video concerned me a little too much to be ignored.

\- sincerely, your friend mark.

ethan's jaw hung open slightly, unsure if what he read was real. it couldn't be. what are the odds? what are the chances that markiplier just messaged ethan?  
this had to be fake. he was sure of it. to clear and clarify this, he pulled out his phone and typed in the number at the end of the email.

> hello, it's ethan.

was all he sent. he didn't want to give any other information until he knew for a fact that this was mark. almost immediately, his phone dinged.

> hello! it's mark. do you want to facetime so you know it's actually me? i understand this is probably very weird. if you don't want to, that's okay as well. 

ethan's thumbs hovered over the white lettered digital keyboard for a few seconds. he needed to know. 

> sure. now is a good time.

he took a deep breath, feeling his heart pound gently. he spun circles in his desk chair, covering the camera of his phone with his palm, you know, in case it wasn't mark on the other side of the phone.  
he awaited a response text for a couple minutes, no answer. ethan checked the time, 11:37pm. his parents would be asleep by now. he sighed in relief.

ethan was receiving a facetime call. it was the same number as "mark's". he shakily inhaled as his pale index finger hesitantly pressed the green answer button.

"hi ethan!" his ears took in the voice across the call. it was mark.

ethan quickly uncovered his front camera, "hey- ahem, hi mark. it's you." ethan stated to himself in a shocked state of mind. "yup! it's me. here are the dogs, and here's amy, say hi amy," he flipped the camera, "hi ethan!" and flipped it again, "so i wanted to talk to you about your newest video."

ethan, up to this time, was silent and astonished, "uhm, mhm, y... yeah. sorry i'm just- a little like- in a- like... disbelief." he smiled nervously, watching his screen as mark patiently waited for ethan to find the right word, "no, that's completely understandable, man. i just need to know if you're safe at all? what happened? if you're comfortable telling me? it's completely okay if you're not, though." mark's voice was shallow and raspy, but, comforting in the same way that the sounds of the cavernous, vast and deep ocean is comforting.

"uhm, yeah. i'm uhm, i'm okay talking about it," ethan couldn't believe he was about to spill his problems onto his best-loved youtube creator, "so, i'm, i... i'm trans. and i told my mom and dad this morning." he paused, timorous of saying anything else. mark watched as ethan's face fell, "and they weren't okay with it? is that why you have to find another place to stay?"

"yeah, actually, they told me this morning that they didn't care where i went as long as they didn't have to put up with my unacceptable behavior anymore. their words, not mine." ethan spun in his chair again, holding his legs to his chest and his phone on top of his knees. "i'm so sorry, ethan. but you have to remember that there is nothing wrong with you. you're choosing to live as who you really are and there is nothing shameful about that. i'm proud of you." mark smiled at his phone, holding it as a lower angle and shifting a hand to scratch chica's ears and head. 

"thanks dude. thank you. that means a lot to me." ethan stabilized his elbows on the surface of his poorly painted black desk.

"yeah no problem, man. with that being said, furthermore, have you found a place yet?" mark questioned, standing up to grab a glass of water. ethan sighed momentarily, "not exactly." he answered, laughing uncomfortably to avoid crying again.

mark nodded in apprehension, "mm," the 28 year old sipped his water, "if you don't mind me asking, what state do you live in?" he placed his glass down, raising an eyebrow and waiting for the kid to speak. "oh, i'm in maine. why?"

"hm," mark looked between ethan and amy, pondering for a second, "would you wanna stay here for a while?"

\------

"hey guys," ethan started, dubiously walking into his parents bedroom as they both prepared for their jobs, "what is it, alyssa?" ethan grimaced, ignoring the incorrect name, "i just needed to clarify something. you said, as long as i'm not here, you don't care where i go, yeah?" 

ethan's dad looked at him like he was stupid, "yes." "okay, well, l... last night, i got an email from mark. you know when we went to pax east in august? and saw markiplier's panel? that mark. apparently he saw a youtube video i made explaining i wouldn't be around to upload for a while, and asked if i needed place to live. he kindly offered that i could stay with him, and we talked about it. he said he was 100% okay with flying here go pick me up, and meet you guys, and work out school transfer stuff."

ethan's parents both looked annoyed, "yeah. that's fine. so you found a place? when's the earliest he said he could come?" his mother slipped on her shoes and placed her hands on her hips, "um, yeah, and, i don't exactly know yet. i would have to ask him."

his dad moaned in an irritated manner "as long as you aren't here anymore, that's fine. i don't want to put up with your attitude anymore."

ethan huffed without a word, leaving the house. he needed to get to school and didn't have time to put up with the ignorance of his current legal guardians.

he shuffled his feet down the pavement, walking to school. he didn't have a ride anymore, obviously. it was like he was living in a trashy motel. he was merely a guest in his own house. he slid his phone out of his jeans pocket, clicking on mark's contact. 

> you have full permission to let me stay with you.

**Author's Note:**

> :)


End file.
